USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 16914 — Columbia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Canton, PA (1,140 ft), 15 miles south.
Updated
In Columbia Cross Roads, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 16 in half of years and has passed by May 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 2, as early as September 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 139 days (NOAA, Canton, PA).
- Last spring frost
- May 16
- First fall frost
- October 2
- Growing season
- 139 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 24
- Last snow
- March 26
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 35"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Columbia Cross Roads
Half of springs at Canton, PA see their last 32°F night by May 16; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 29. Planting tender crops after May 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 26 20%, and after May 29 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 94% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 2 in half of years, as early as September 18 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 19, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 139 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 159 days one year in ten and falls short of 118 one year in ten. On average 160 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 13 days longer, to about May 29, and return around September 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 12 | May 19 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 11 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 | May 29 |
| 28°F | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 24°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 7 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Canton, PA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 16914 →Compare Columbia Cross Roads with another place →
Weather by month in Columbia Cross Roads
July is the warmest month at Canton, PA, averaging 81°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 83% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,272 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 32% of them (731) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 587. Precipitation totals 41.2 inches a year, most in September (4.3") and least in February (2.1"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 15 | 2.9 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 36 | 16 | 2.1 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 23 | 3.3 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 58 | 33 | 3.6 | 100% | 15 | 59 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.6 | 83% | 4 | 225 |
| Jun | 77 | 53 | 3.8 | 6% | <1 | 438 |
| Jul | 81 | 57 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 587 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 538 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 4.3 | 42% | 1 | 311 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 3.8 | 99% | 11 | 90 |
| Nov | 48 | 29 | 3.0 | 100% | 21 | 13 |
| Dec | 38 | 22 | 3.1 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Canton, PA (1,140 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Waverly, NY, 16 miles northeast of Columbia Cross Roads and 295 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (May 6), a first frost 8 days later (October 10), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Columbia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Columbia Cross Roads usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around March 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Chemung, NY, 11.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 16914
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 7 – March 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 18 – May 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 2 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 16914 is 15 miles from Canton, PA, which stands at 1,140 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 17724 (Canton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 16914 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Pennsylvania →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.